Thickening agents are an important jpart of cosmetic formulating, offering the chemist the oppotunity to not only chane the viscosity of a product, but to also improve the rheological properties of stability, feel and flow.
This article takes the formulator through the logical sequence of choosing the best thickener for a project, in a simple question and answer format. It further describes the nine basic thickener groups and explains some of the key attributes, both positive and negative, of the most commonly used members of these groups.